Browsing by Author "Maldonado, Antonio"

Now showing 1 - 18 of 18
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    A 700-year record of climate and environmental change from a high Andean lake : Laguna del Maule, central Chile (36°S)
    (2015) Carrevedo, María Laura; Frugone, Matías; Latorre H., Claudio; Maldonado, Antonio; Bernárdez, Patricia; Prego, Ricardo; Cárdenas, Daniela; Valero Garcés, Blas
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    A 7000‐year high‐resolution lake sediment record from coastal central Chile (Lago Vichuquén, 34°S): implications for past sea level and environmental variability
    (2017) Frugone, M. J.; Latorre H., Claudio; Giralt, Santiago; Polanco Martínez, Josué; Bernárdez, Patricia; Oliva Urcía, Belén; Maldonado, Antonio; Carrevedo, María Laura; Moreno, Ana; Delgado Huertas, Antonio; Prego, Ricardo; Barreiro Lostres, Fernando; Valero Garcés, Blas
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    Acta de Tarapacá: pueblo sin agua, pueblo muerto
    (2018) Latorre Hidalgo, Claudio; Marquet Iturriaga, Pablo Angel; McRostie, Virginia; Maldonado, Antonio; Santoro, Calogero M.; Valenzuela, Daniela; Jofré, Daniela; Angelo, Dante; Gayo, Eugenia M.; Hamamé, Eva; Correa, Jacqueline; Barraza, José; Capriles, José M.; Porras, María Eugenia de; Uribe, Mauricio; Castro, Victoria; Standen, Vivien G.
    El “Acta de Tarapacá” constituye un llamado de atención sobre la necesidad de cambiar la manera como las sociedades humanas han estado utilizando el agua en el Desierto de Atacama, mediante una perspectiva histórica a lo largo de milenios. El Acta, una iniciativa que resume los resultados del proyecto CONICYT/PIA Anillo SOC1405 “Cambios Sociales y Variabilidad Climática a Largo Plazo en el Desierto de Atacama”, está dirigida a la sociedad civil y a distintas instancias políticas con miras a que se generen cambios tecnológicos y culturales para detener y mitigar los efectos causados por las actividades antrópicas en uno de los desiertos más antiguos y áridos del mundo. En el transcurso del proyecto se constató la necesidad urgente de sensibilizar a la sociedad acerca del desmesurado y mal uso del agua en el Desierto de Atacama; un recurso no renovable con relación a las escalas económicas de extracción ya que depende, fundamentalmente, de aguas fósiles que fueron acumuladas durante milenios en las zonas altas del desierto. De esta manera queremos evitar que este conocimiento científico se encapsule en las universidades y hacer eco de lo señalado por Victoria Castro (2003): Para crecer hay que educar.
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    Challenging the Atacama desert: Agronomic and water conditions for pre-Hispanic maize agriculture in hyper arid environments inferred by 518O isotopes
    (2024) Vidal-Elgueta, Ale; Luecke, Andreas; Perez, M. Fernanda; Wissel, Holger; Maldonado, Antonio; Uribe, Mauricio
    During the Formative Period (ca.2400-950 years BP), pre-Hispanic farmers in Pampa del Tamarugal developed a complex agricultural system in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert in Tarapaca, northern Chile. This system involved numerous agricultural fields congregated near the Tarapaca Valley's perennial stream and the Guatacondo ravine's ephemeral stream. Well-established villages such as Caserones, Pircas, Ramaditas, and Guatacondo accompanied these developments. However, the importance of understanding the water sources has been neglected despite the efforts to understand the relationships between pre-Hispanic agriculture and their living environment. Thus, we presumed the use of local water sources without a clear understanding of their exploitation methods or the associated technological implications. Furthermore, there is limited research on groundwater use in Tarapaca. This research aims to understand water sources used in the cultivation of maize (Zea mays) using 518O isotope values obtained from pre-Hispanic maize kernels in Tarapaca. We compared these values with published 518O values of water sources and applied a generalized linear model (GLM) with a Gaussian distribution, performing a Tukey's post hoc test for multiple comparisons of means with heteroscedasticity-consistent covariance estimation. The best-fit model was identified using a stepwise model selection procedure based on the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Our results indicate that mean 518O values of organic matter from maize kernels range from 24.73 %o to 31.65 %o. The best performing model on 518O only included Group (BIC=298.2) as the explanatory variable as Period, Site, and Weight had no effects. These findings point towards a significant statistical relationship between the 518O values of organic matter derived from maize kernels and the specific geographic regions they originate from. These values also show an enrichment of 518O isotope in Tarapaca samples, except for Pica 8. These results indicate diverse agricultural strategies that utilized different water sources including perennial flow in the Tarapaca River, ephemeral runoff at Guatacondo, and groundwater in the Pampa del Tamarugal. Also, due to the enrichment of 518O, we suggest that the circular structures found among the fields were used as water reservoirs leading to the observed enrichment of 518O isotope values. We discuss the role of ancient agriculture technology in water management, the role of maize, cultural strategies, and the relationships with their environment. In conclusion, pre-Hispanic farmers managed limited water sources successfully despite intermittent drought for hundreds of years until the 1970 s, when agriculture was abandoned due to multiple factors.
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    Characterizing the Water Storage Capacity and Hydrological Role of Mountain Peatlands in the Arid Andes of North-Central Chile
    (2020) Valois, Remi; Schaffer, Nicole; Figueroa, Ronny; Maldonado, Antonio; Yanez, Eduardo; Hevia, Andres; Yanez Carrizo, Gonzalo; MacDonell, Shelley
    High-altitude peatlands in the Andes, i.e., bofedales, play an essential role in alpine ecosystems, regulating the local water balance and supporting biodiversity. This is particularly true in semiarid Chile, where bofedales develop near the altitudinal and hydrological limits of plant life. The subterranean geometry and stratigraphy of one peatland was characterized in north-central Chile using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and core extraction. Two sounding locations, two transversal and one longitudinal profile allowed a 3D interpretation of the bofedal's internal structure. A conceptual model of the current bofedal system is proposed. Geophysical results combined with porosity measurements were used to estimate the bofedal water storage capacity. Using hydrological data at the watershed scale, implications regarding the hydrological role of bofedales in the semiarid Andes were then briefly assessed. At the catchment scale, bofedal water storage capacity, evapotranspiration losses and annual streamflow are on the same order of magnitude. High-altitude peatlands are therefore storing a significant amount of water and their impact on basin hydrology should be investigated further.
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    Chronological sequence (early and late Holocene) and cultural trajectories in Quebrada Pedernales, southern Puna, Chile (26°S-3,456-3,730 masl)
    (2023) Mendoza, Patricio Lopez; Carrasco, Carlos; Loyola, Rodrigo; Mendez, Victor; Varas, Daniel; Diaz, Pablo; Santana-Sagredo, Francisca; Quiroz, Luciana; Soto, Angelica; Flores-Aqueveque, Valentina; Maldonado, Antonio; Vera, Francisca; Bravo, Alvaro; Hernandez, Daniel; Alamos, Ignacio; Orrego, Vanessa
    This article presents the results of the interdisciplinary investigation in Quebrada Pedernales (26 degrees S-69 degrees W, Chile 3456 masl), in the highlands of northern Chile. The excavations and surveys carried out revealed a great diversity of pre-Hispanic evidence in an area of the Andes that has been little investigated. This evidence allowed us to reconstruct a sequence of continuous occupation between 11,201-11,612 and 539-634 cal. BP. Zooarchaeological, radiocarbon, technological, geochemical, and carpological analyses suggest wide mobility circuits between the coast and the puna on both slopes of the Andes at the start of the Holocene, coinciding with improved environmental conditions in this area and greater aridity on the coast. A severe lack of human occupation is observed during the mid-Holocene, a phenomenon associated with extreme arid environmental conditions. These trends indicate that the southern limit of influence of this environmental event, which has been recorded in a large part of the south-central Andes, extended into the study area, with a direct impact on the settlement and mobility of human groups. Towards ca. 3000 cal. BP, environmental conditions similar to those of today are associated with the reappearance of archaeological evidence and greater complexity in the formation of settlements, especially in terms of hunting activities.
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    Continuities and discontinuities in the socio-environmental systems of the Atacama Desert during the last 13,000 years
    (2017) Santoro, Calogero M.; Capriles, José M.; Gayo Hernández, Eugenia Monserrat; De Porras, María Eugenia; Maldonado, Antonio; Standen, Vivien G.; Latorre H., Claudio; Castro, Victoria; Marquet, P. A. (Pablo A.); Mc Rostie Bustamante, Virginia Bernardita; Uribe, Mauricio; Valenzuela, Daniela; Ugalde, Paula C.; Angelo, Dante
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    Early deglaciation and paleolake history of Río Cisnes Glacier, Patagonian Ice Sheet (44°S)
    (2019) García B., Juan Luis; Maldonado, Antonio; De Porras, María Eugenia; Nuevo Delaunay, Amalia; Reyes, Omar; Ebensperger, Claudia; Binnie, Steven A.; Lüthgens, Christopher; Méndez, César
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    Formative Period in Tarapaca (3000-1000 BP): Archeology, nature and culture in the Pampa del Tamarugal, Atacama Desert, northern Chile
    (CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2020) Uribe, Mauricio; Angelo, Dante; Capriles, Jose; Castro, Victoria; Eugenia de Porras, Maria; Garcia, Magdalena; Gayo, Eugenia; Gonzalez, Josefina; Jose Herrera, Maria; Izaurieta, Roberto; Maldonado, Antonio; Mandakovic, Valentina; Mcrostie, Virginia; Razeto, Jorge; Santana, Francisca; Santoro, Calogero; Valenzuela, Jimena; Vidal, Alejandra
    In this article, we illustrate the relationships that human societies established with their environment during the Formative period in the Pampa del Tamarugal (3000-1000 BP), Atacama Desert, Chile. We employed a theoretical-methodological perspective that emphasizes the explanatory potential of ecofacts. By mediating between humans and environment, this perspective provides a better understanding of how these societies constructed nature and culture. The purpose is to show that this process was part of a long history of rationalization of the desert, its resources, and the lived experience of the Formative communities that occupied that landscape. Therefore, we propose that this human intervention in Pampa del Tamarugal can be understood not only as an ecological and economic change but also a "cosmological" one.
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    High- and low-latitude forcings drive Atacama Desert rainfall variations over the past 16,000 years
    (2021) Gonzalez-Pinilla, Francisco J.; Latorre, Claudio; Rojas, Maisa; Houston, John; Ignacia Rocuant, M.; Maldonado, Antonio; Santoro, Calogero M.; Quade, Jay; Betancourt, Julio L.
    Late Quaternary precipitation dynamics in the central Andes have been linked to both high- and low-latitude atmospheric teleconnections. We use present-day relationships between fecal pellet diameters from ashy chinchilla rats (Abrocoma cinerea) and mean annual rainfall to reconstruct the timing and magnitude of pluvials (wet episodes) spanning the past 16,000 years in the Atacama Desert based on 81 C-14-dated A. cinerea paleomiddens. A transient climate simulation shows that pluvials identified at 15.9 to 14.8, 13.0 to 8.6, and 8.1 to 7.6 ka B.P. can be linked to North Atlantic (high-latitude) forcing (e. g., Heinrich Stadial 1, Younger Dryas, and Bond cold events). Holocene pluvials at 5.0 to 4.6, 3.2 to 2.1, and 1.4 to 0.7 ka B.P. are not simulated, implying low-latitude internal variability forcing (i.e., ENSO regime shifts). These results help constrain future central Andean hydroclimatic variability and hold promise for reconstructing past climates from rodent middens in desert ecosystems worldwide.
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    Huentelauquén coastal groups in the Andean highlands? An assessment of human occupations of the Early Holocene in Salar de Pedernales, Chile (26°S, 3356 masl)
    (2022) López, Patricio; Carrasco, Carlos; Loyola, Rodrigo; Flores-Aqueveque, Valentina; Maldonado, Antonio; Santana Sagredo, Francisca; Méndez, Víctor; Díaz, Pablo; Varas, Daniel; Soto, Angélica
    We present new evidence obtained in archaeological surveys in Quebrada Pedernales (3356 masl), in the southern puna of Chile (26°S; 69°W). A series of surface findings such as large lanceolate stemmed projectile points and geometric stones, together with chronostratigraphic and artifactual data recovered in excavations at the Pedernales-38 site, suggest that the coastal Huentelauquén groups explored and inhabited the Andean highlands between 10,151 and 9695 cal yr BP. The archaeological record is discussed as it relates to the known evidence for this cultural complex, recognized principally on the Pacific coast. The archaeological findings allow us to broaden the diversity of environments exploited by coastal populations of the Early Holocene, and provide new data on their mobility and settlement strategies.
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    Human Effects in Holocene Fire Dynamics of Central Western Patagonia (∼44° S, Chile)
    (2016) Méndez, César; de Porras, María E.; Maldonado, Antonio; Reyes, Omar; Nuevo Delaunay, Amalia; García B., Juan Luis
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    Improving the underground structural characterization and hydrological functioning of an Andean peatland using geoelectrics and water stable isotopes in semi-arid Chile
    (2021) Valois, Remi; Araya Vargas, Jaime; MacDonell, Shelley; Guzman Pinones, Camilo; Fernandoy, Francisco; Yanez Carrizo, Gonzalo; Cuevas, Jaime G.; Sproles, Eric A.; Maldonado, Antonio
    High altitude, Andean wetlands, or bofedales as they are locally known, are important regulators of the local water balance and also play a key role in sustaining biodiversity. Nevertheless, there is almost no information regarding their hydrogeological structure and functioning. This paper aims to characterize the thickness of the alluvial filling of one peat-accumulating wetland in North-Central Chile using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to assess its role as a water reservoir. To develop a quasi-3D understanding of the peatland's structure, four ERT profiles were conducted. Results highlight a conductive basin shape of the peatland, with a thicker interface downstream than upstream between alluvial materials and the underlying bedrock or rock screes. Those results allow the estimate of the water column (1000-3400 mm) within the peatland alluvial filling. The second objective is to better understand the water exchanges between the peatland and the streamflow using discharge measurements and water stable isotopes. Water and isotopes budgets highlight a streamflow loss towards the peatland groundwater reservoir at the end of spring season. In addition, ten delta O-18 and delta H-2 surveys were used to characterize the distinct wetland water sources and their temporal variations. A peatland conceptual model is proposed to connect groundwater, rock glaciers, snowmelt, and hillslope flows. Andean peatlands provide a pivotal control on water delivery downstream, and therefore, understanding their structure and function is important, because they are unique structures providing ecological services at high elevations.
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    Integration of Near-Surface Complementary Geophysical Techniques for the Study of Ancient Archaeological Areas in the Atacama Desert (Pampa Iluga, Northern Chile)
    (2023) Gallegos-Poch, Fernanda; Viguier, Benoit; Menanno, Giovanni; Mandakovic, Valentina; Yanez, Gonzalo; Gutierrez, Sergio; Lizarde, Catalina; Araya, Jaime Vargas; Lopez-Contreras, Camila; Mendez-Quiros, Pablo; Maldonado, Antonio; Uribe, Mauricio
    Near-surface geophysical techniques are useful for the characterization of archaeological areas because of their ability to rapidly cover wide extensions and obtain high-resolution data to identify the location for archaeological excavations. However, in hyperarid environments usual geophysical techniques may fail to obtain the expected results due to the dry near surface. This study proposes an integration of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques, to elucidate the origin of thousands of aligned circular features located at the Iluga archaeological area emplaced on one of the driest places on Earth (Pampa del Tamarugal, Atacama Desert). The GPR was useful to recognize alluvial deposits, sandy aeolian filling in pre-existing holes and roots right underneath circular features. Magnetic susceptibility data derived from the EMI in-phase component, usually considered a complementary result, were useful to identify fireplaces in the vicinity of the alignments. These geophysical findings were verified with an archaeological excavation. It has been found that circular features resulted from an extensive deforestation process in the Pampa del Tamarugal, consisting in the extraction of both trunk and roots of algarrobos (Prosopis chilensis) or tamarugos (Prosopis tamarugo), likely for recent charcoal production. The proposed methodology delivers promising results for archaeological and shallow geological studies in hyperarid and dry environments.
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    Late Pleistocene human occupations in the southern puna, Chile (12,4-10,7 ka cal. BP): Primary results from the Salar de Infieles (25°S, 3529 m. a.s.l.)
    (2023) Mendoza, Patricio Lopez; Carrasco, Carlos; Loyola, Rodrigo; Mendez, Victor; Blanco, Elvira Latorre; Diaz-Jarufe, Pablo; Flores-Aqueveque, Valentina; Varas, Daniel; Santana-Sagredo, Francisca; Orrego, Vanessa; Soto, Angelica; Maldonado, Antonio; Maturana-Fernandez, Anahi
    This article presents the results of excavations at the Infieles-1 site, located at 3529 m. a.s.l. in the Salar de Infieles (25 degrees S), highlands of the Chile's southern Puna ecoregion. An initial human occupation was discovered next to an ignimbrite rock-shelter at a depth of 70-80 cm on top of a volcanic ash deposit, dated between 10,798 and 12,440 cal yr BP. The archaeological record consists of lithic wasted-flakes and knapping debris, an ultra-marginal andesite side-scraper, vicuna bone fragments and traces of red mineral pigment. As far as now, this event is the first human occupation recorded in the southern Puna. It is a camp associated with more favourable environmental conditions during the late Central Andean Pluvial Event II (CAPE II). (C) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Population dynamics and cultural niche construction during the Late Holocene in a mediterranean ecosystem (central Chile, 32°S-36°S)
    (2024) Godoy-Aguirre, Carolina; Frugone-Alvarez, Matias; Gayo, Eugenia M.; Campbell, Roberto; Lima, Mauricio; Maldonado, Antonio; Latorre, Claudio
    Understanding socio-ecological systems over the long term can shed light on past adaptive strategies in environmentally sensitive regions. Central Chile is an emblematic case study for mediterranean ecosystems, where a progressive and sustained population increase began approximately 2000 years ago alongside significant landscape changes. In this work we analyzed regional paleo-demographic trends by compiling a new database of archaeological dates over the last 3000 years, and integrating population dynamics theory with an analysis of the spatio-temporal variation of regional cultural stages. Results show three moments of marked acceleration in population growth: just before agricultural adoption, during the Archaic Period (c. 700-300 BCE); during the second half of the ECP (500-900 CE); and during the Late Intermediate Period (1200-1400 CE). We also identified periods of deceleration in per capita growth rates, although population size continued to increase (300 BCE-500 CE, 900-1200 CE and after 1400 CE). These large shifts in the per capita growth rates coincide with major cultural changes associated with social and economic aspects. The pulses of major occupation show in general terms a more intensive use of the valleys as the population size increased, although the remaining ecosystems never ceased to be occupied with different economic and symbolic emphases.
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    Postglacial landscape dynamics and fire regimes in west Central Patagonia, Chile (44°S, 72°W): Evidence from the Cisnes River Basin
    (2024) Alvarez-Barra, Valentina; Maldonado, Antonio; de Porras, Maria Eugenia; Nuevo-Delaunay, Amalia; Mendez, Cesar
    We examine the long-term changes in vegetation structure and wildfires regimes in the Chilean Patagonia (44 degrees S, 72 degrees W) at the westernmost part of the Cisnes River basin. Previous studies within this basin have accounted for millennial shifts in glacier, vegetation and fire dynamics but at its easternmost portion. Here, we present a pollen a macro-charcoal particles record from Laguna Las Mellizas del R & iacute;o Cisnes (LLMRC; 44 degrees 38'48.13"S; 72 degrees 19'42.58"W; 209 m a.s.l.) that encompasses the last 13,900 cal yr BP. After glacier retreat, the LLMRC record shows incipient plant colonization upon the retreat of the ice caps (13,900-12,400 cal yr BP), inferred by the low PAR values (< 500 grains cm (-2) yr (-1)) and negligible fire activity. The end of the Lateglacial period is characterized by increased values of N. dombeyi-type and the mistletoe Misodendrum, with the coeval presence of Podocarpus nubigenus and Pilgerodendron uviferum suggesting humid and warm conditions since 12,400 cal yr BP. A peak in Weinmannia trichosperma percentages (similar to 56%) marks the Holocene onset in the LLMRC record indicating a shift towards warmer conditions and enhanced rainfall seasonality, coupled with enhanced fire activity between 11,700 and 9000 cal yr BP. Increased moisture conditions after 9000 cal yr BP trigger the development of a closed Nothofagus-Podocarpus forest while the establishment of the North Patagonian rainforest occured during the middle Holocene (similar to 8000 cal yr BP). The LLMRC record indicate a shift towards an open forest and moderate fire activity during the late Holocene. Despite the documented presence of indigenous population in the region, the results suggest no influence of human activity as potential triggers for fires in this record for the last 4000 years. Overall, the results of LLMRC record suggest the paramount importance of the Southern Westerlies in modulating the observed shifts in vegetation structure and wildfires at the westernmost portion of the Cisnes River basin.
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    Soil use in pre-Hispanic and historical crop fields in the Guatacondo Ravine, northern Chile (2400 years BP): A geoarchaeological and paleobotanic approach
    (2022) Segura, Camila; Vidal, Ale; Maldonado, Antonio; Uribe, Mauricio
    In one of the most arid places on Earth, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile (18-21 degrees S), pre-Hispanic cultures developed different types of tillage and irrigation systems in the Guatacondo Ravine. Their agrarian production, based on a summer precipitation regime, enabled the formative villages of Ramaditas (2300-2600 years BP) and Guatacondo (2400-2800 years BP) to emerge, along with seasonal agriculture. Despite the insight gained into their agricultural technology, we know very little about how this type of soil management affected the soils' plant nutrient status. Thus, our main objective was to determine if the different tillage systems affected the soils' properties. We analyzed the soils and the pollen composition of different tillage systems and carried out direct radiocarbon dating (C-14) of sediments. The soils' chemical properties (total nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon contents) indicate greater nutrient retention in the square bed system, associated with a higher silt content and the use of organic fertilizers. Pollen analyses show the presence of crop, weed, and riparian species. In conclusion, the analysis of ancient soils gives us valuable information about the innovations and changes implemented in ancient times in the Guatacondo Ravine.